October Road,
currently airing Mondays at 10:00 p.m. ET (9:00 p.m. CT/MT), has been one of the
less offensive options for prime-time viewing since its premiere last March. The
series is set in a picturesque small town, with likeable characters that move in
and out of each others’ lives. Despite its feel-good premise, it has never been
a show one could whole-heartedly recommend for family viewing because of
isolated yet prominent instances of inappropriate content, such as appeared in
the December 17th episode. The episode was rated TV-PG with
descriptors for sex and violence. While the violence did not rise above the PG
level (Hannah punches a woman who demeans her son), the sexual content would
certainly have warranted a higher rating.

In the episode, Nick is
trying to get his little brother into the dating scene while simultaneously
giving up on his own. He had a chance to get together with a girl named Aubrey,
but appeared to have missed the opportunity. However, both Nick and Aubrey have
been secretly pining for each other while trying to remain friends. Nick
eventually goes to her door, and tells her that he doesn’t want to be just
friends. The two immediately have a sexual encounter, after which they
exasperatedly share this exchange:

Nick: “What are
you thinking?”

Aubrey: “That
you just ‘friended’ my brains out.”

It’s not that this sexual
depiction is strikingly out of place in today’s television landscape, but it is
out of place for this series, and was graphic enough to warrant at least a TV-14
rating. Nick lies on top of Aubrey on her bed, and they take their clothes off
as they kiss (no nudity is shown, though it is implied). Earlier in the episode,
a friend of Nick’s revealed that a good way for a man to turn on a woman is to
rub her earlobes. Nick does this, and Aubrey is very responsive. She moans
slightly and the action continues.

The scene occurs during a
montage of events, cutting back and forth between the couple and other
characters. Each time the scene returns to Nick and Aubrey, the scene has
escalated. It is doubtful that parents would want to watch this scene with
their children, or that many parents would consider this kind of sexual
encounter -- outside of the context of a loving committed relationship –
suitable for their youngster. October Road is usually appropriately-rated
PG entertainment, but for this instance, the classification is inappropriate.

If you agree that this program was inadequately
rated, please write to the TV ratings advisory board at
tvomb@usa.net and let them know that the TV
ratings once again failed to adequately warn parents about inappropriate
content.

Parents Television Council,
www.parentstv.org, PTC,
Clean Up TV Now, Because our children are watching, The
nation's most influential advocacy organization, Protecting
children against sex, violence and profanity in
entertainment, Parents Television Council Seal of Approval,
and Family Guide to Prime Time Television
are trademarks of the Parents Television Council.